The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday reserved judgments in the four separate appeals filed by the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, in connection with his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The suspended CJN, had, by one of his appeals, challenged the jurisdiction of the CCT to hear the non-declaration of assets charges instituted against him before the CCT. Another of the appeals challenged the ex-parte order which President Muhammadu Buhari relied on to suspend the CJN and appointed Justice Tanko Muhammad as the acting CJN. The third appeal challenged the CCT’s refusal to be bound by the orders made by the Federal High Court and the National Industrial Court directing the tribunal to halt the CJN’s trial. The last one asked the court to set aside the arrest warrant issued against him by the CCT on February 13. On Wednesday, a three-man bench of the court, led by Justice Steven Adah, finally heard the four appeals and reserved judgments after the cases had been previously adjourned on three occasions.
Justice Adah, who led Justice Tinuade Akomolafe-Wilson and Justice Peter Ige, said the date for judgments would be communicated to the parties. At the Wednesday’s hearing, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) led the suspended CJN’s legal team, but yielded the floor to Chief Chris Uche (SAN), a member of the team, to make a short oral argument in support of the briefs filed. The Federal Government’s team was led by Mr Aliyu Umar (SAN), who also argued the respondent’s briefs and the notices of preliminary objection filed against Onnoghen’s appeals. In his argument, Uche urged the court to dismiss the notices of preliminary objection filed against the appeals and grant the prayers in them.
Photo Credit: Getty
